Picking scabs, again. in A small but passable life.

I woke up to rain and thunder yesterday morning. It is still raining and thundering today. Over an inch of rain has already fallen.

Christmas was good here. There was a good dinner and good company. And a warm seventy degree day!

I’ve finished reading “Ashley Bell” by Dean Koontz. A bit of supernatural rigmarole fluff, but a readable story.

And today I finished reading “Avenue of Mysteries” by John Irving. The inside of the jacket cover contained this:

“As we grow older- most of all, in what we remember and what we dream- we live in the past. Sometimes, we live more vividly in the past than in the present.”

That just about sums up the reason why so many hours at the end of a day, trying to fall asleep, are spent picking scabs off of memories.

Anyway, I’ve also figured something out. I used to wonder why so many people are spending so much time staring at devices in their hands. I had thought that it was fascination or curiosity of the novelty. But alas, I know now what it is. People are constantly checking their devices to SEE IF ANYONE’S NOTICING THEM! That has to be it. All those lonely desperate lives cast out into the digital realm hoping and craving to be noticed.

The last of the three new arrivals to the family this Fall have arrived. Mom now has eight great-grandbabies. I’m thinking I may need to write down the names and keep them in my wallet for quick reference. I know two of the three latest are an Isabelle and Waylon. And the other is a little brother to a Nate.

I stumbled upon something I think is remarkable- “Downton Abbey”. I thought I’d watch a couple of episodes to see if I’d get hooked. And I did. I’ve binge watched most all of six seasons. I’ll watch the last several episodes to date tonight.

I find it remarkable that human beings allowed others to bow and scrape to them and others allowed themselves to bow and scrape to other humans.

I suppose it still occurs today. I mean with most people working short-hour low-wage zombie jobs and living paycheck to paycheck it does seem like bowing and scraping to survive. Add that to the ever increasing mountains of debt people are accumulating and it seems to be more common.

I guess if one chooses to live like others think they should live there is a price to be paid for that. I know I’m done with that game. I played it for many, many years. And I actually made it work. Bills paid and no debt. I even had a modest little pile of cash in savings.

But now I’m still working on the new philosophy- “Two boxes, two bags”. I’m not quite there yet, but getting closer every day.

Hopefully I’ll be back here sooner than two weeks next time.